Breaking Down The Big 12

Quincy Miller brings star potential to the Baylor Bears.

By Bryan Kriss - bryankriss@hardwoodelite.com

Conference Recruiting Ranking: #4

Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears lead the way for the Big 12 as they bring in the 10th best recruiting class in the nation. Although they bring in a small class of only two prospects, they made each commitment count. Quincy Miller has star potential and is truly a matchup nightmare. Also joining him in the 2011 class is Deuce Bello. Bello is arguably the best athlete in the class and is almost unstoppable when he decides to take it to the rim.

After taking a hit with the decommitment of DeAndre Daniels, the Longhorns still managed to hold on to a top 15 ranking for their 2011 class while bringing in three top 100 players. Kabongo is a top 5 point guard and top 15 player overall who uses his quickness to get to the rim and either score or dish off to a teammate. McClellan and Lewis bring athleticism and depth and also excel at getting to the rim while Gibbs and Holmes add depth to the point guard and power forward positions.

Oklahoma State checks in with the 14th best recruiting class in the country. It had appeared for some time that Baylor was the team to beat in LeBryan Nash's recruitment, but Travis Ford and staff did a great job of landing the top prospect from the Lone Star State. Nash is as college-ready as any prospect in the class and will make a major impact from day one. Guerrero is a flashy point guard who likes to play uptempo and does a very good job of scoring around the rim as well as setting up open teammates.

Kansas brings in the 17th rated recruiting class. Ben McLemore is the gem of the class and possesses the most upside. A long, explosive athlete, McLemore is also very skilled and a good long range shooter. If he can improve his motor his production will increase greatly. Naadir Tharpe is a pure point guard who does a good job of taking care of the ball and managing a team. Traylor is a big-time athlete who plays with energy and Anderson adds depth at power forward.

Conference Recruiting Class Rankings:
1. Baylor
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma State
4. Kansas
5. Texas A&M
6. Kansas State
7. Texas Tech
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Missouri


Top 100 players coming to the Big 12 include:
3. Quincy Miller (Baylor)
10. LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State)
15. Myck Kabongo (Texas)
24. Ben McLemore (Kansas)
34. Deuce Bello (Baylor)
57. Sheldon McClellan (Texas)
64. Naadir Tharpe (Kansas)
67. Jamal Branch (Texas A&M)
79. Julien Lewis (Texas)
82. Thomas Gipson (Kansas State)
97. Cezar Guerrero (Oklahoma State)


Superlatives:
Best perimeter scorer: Quincy Miller (Baylor)
Best low post scorer: Quincy Miller (Baylor)
Best shooter: Quincy Miller (Baylor)
Best rebounder: LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State)
Best defender: Jamal Branch (Texas A&M)
Best passer: Myck Kabongo (Texas)
Most athletic: Deuce Bello (Baylor)
Best shot blocker: Quincy Miller (Baylor)
Biggest sleeper: Thomas Gipson (Kansas State)

Preseason Big 12 All-Freshman Team:
Quincy Miller (Baylor)
LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State)
Myck Kabongo (Texas)
Ben McLemore (Kansas)
Deuce Bello (Baylor)

Preseason Big 12 Freshman of The Year:
Quincy Miller (Baylor)